1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, and more particularly to an information processing apparatus capable of displaying image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a variety of notebook or laptop personal computers have been developed. Most of these personal computers have a function of handling image data such as motion video.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,794 discloses a computer capable of handling image data. In the system of this computer, motion video data from a video source is transferred to a display controller via a dedicated motion video bus. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the system bus from being occupied by the transfer of motion video data.
In the system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,794, however, the display controller connected to the system bus is used to control display of motion video data transferred via the dedicated motion video bus. In usual cases, in an information processing apparatus such as a computer, each system device connected to the system bus becomes operable only after the operating system is activated.
Thus, in the system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,794, it is necessary to activate the operating system in advance, in order to display motion video data transferred via the dedicated motion video bus.